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Britain could do nothing about anti-Japanese quotas for the Dominions, but ardently she hoped that they would follow suit. Because the British Dominions supply much of the raw materials on which Japanese industrial economy is dependent, they appeared none too eager last week to crimp their own exports. In Australia the Melbourne Argus (which last week won a University of Missouri School of Journalism honor medal, see p. 22) put it bluntly: "Australia has no complaint against Japan who is a good customer for her wheat and wool. Australia, as is natural from her geographical position, has found good markets in the Far East and unless international rivalries are pursued to the point of national suicide that trade must not be discouraged. The poor people of both England and Australia do not wel come a policy compelling them to buy in a dearer market." In Tokyo last week arrived sober, youthful-looking John Grieg Latham, Australian Minister for External Affairs. He was dined & wined, received by the Emperor in audience and taken in state to inspect two cotton mills. To interviewers he announced : 'I am willing to hear any proposals on matters of trade and transmit them to the Commonwealth Government." Japanese were convinced that his trip was to pave the way for a separate Australian Legation in Tokyo to handle Australia's interests apart from those of Britain.
Britain also realized last week that she may not be able to enforce anti-Japanese quotas for some of her East African possessions because of the Congo Basin treaties which assure commercial equality in the Congo Basin to the signatory powers. Tanganyika Territory in East Africa, excluded because it is a British mandate, was glad. Reporters found an overworked doctor in Tanganyika who announced:
''People forget the low purchasing power of the native boys. The purchase of cheap Japanese rubber soled shoes has done more to check hookworm here than all the efforts of the health department."
Japan did not accept a trade war with Britain passively. It meant more to her than just a chance to increase textile exports. Japan's foreign trade is vital to the nation's existence. The development of new markets is the cause of her imperialism, and she cannot finance that imperialism unless other nations buy her goods. Working for starvation wages is a patriotic duty in Japan.
Having taken affairs right out of the hands of Minister of Commerce Joji Matsumoto, Foreign Minister Hirota last week summoned his trusty Official Spokesman, curly haired Eiji Amau. At the end of their interview the latter went out to the Press and parroted:
''We Japanese were all brought up to believe Adam Smith and the Manchester School [of economics]. The fact that Britain has adopted a quota system, which is usually a device of countries unable to face competition, has made a certain impression on the Japanese who had been accustomed to regard Britain as a great trading nation.
"A decade ago the mere announcement of such a step would have upset Japanese industrialists. Today they have more confidence in their power to meet competition."